On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 18:07:13 -0800, "Richard Johnson"
wrote:


Teaching has been in my job since before I graduated High School
(Instructional Aide). When I went into the Naval Reserve my Rate was that
of Tradevman. That job maintained and operated simulators (Link Trainers
through ASW jez and mad simulators.) Being an Instructor was part of that
job. Later in CATV I became the back up Instructor for the Technical
Classes, and that is where I got my Credential (Lifetime, Limited Service).
SD City College approached my Employer to set up an AS degree program in
CATV Technology. So I did that with the Regional Trainer. Even now in
management, I do a lot of teaching. I enjoy the training of adults. They
want to be there, and want to get the knowledge and skills. The ones that
are difficult are the Jr. High/Middle School and High School students. It
is rare to find one that wants to be there, or has the desire to learn what
you are teaching.

Rich

Understood.

I'm a retired Senior Chief.

Went from HS to a combo college/tradeschool to become a computer tech
back when a computer filled up a good sized room. Went into the Navy
and became an engineman and went to Nam 3 times to play on the PBRs.
Then they didn't need so many enginemen any more and became a
machinests mate and went to sea on the big ships. Besides boilers and
big steam engines, gained specialties (NECs) in cryogenics, heating
and air conditioning, and hydraulics. Even got out of the Navy once
and was a cop for almost 3 years. Decided I wasn't cop material, went
back in the service. Went thru the Navy's Instructor Training course,
and was an instructor a couple times. A career counselor. A
recruiter. And along the line picked up a certification as a computer
professional, a 4 yr degree in engineering, a masters in sociology, a
real estate realtors license, and after retiring got licensed as a
Chief A Boiler - Unlimited operating engineer, a couple electricians
licenses, and a license for heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning. Worked for a phone company for 10 yrs. And have been
working in the building automation systems and energy management field
(DDC controls for HVAC equipment, fire alarm systems, door access
control, video surveillance, and intrusion alarms) for the past 2 1/2
yrs.

G One of these days I'm gonna figure out what I want to do for a
living when I grow up.

Actually, at one time thought about picking up a license as a regular
teacher. Wouldn't be particularly hard as I already have most of the
required coursework done. But nixed the idea for assorted reasons.
Among others, by nature I'm a tinkerer and am most content when
playing with machinery, electrical and electronic circuits, making
physical things, designing them, fixing them, and so forth. And when
I looked into teaching back when I first retired from the Navy, and
lived in the Twin Cities Metro area, prospects for teaching that I
might enjoy looked dim.

Chuckle ... the vocational/shop/technical instructors, once they were
in ... had the job ... yah just about had to wait for the sucker to
die or retire before an full time opening became available. I got to
know several, as several were ex-Navy. They could get part time work
for me, but were honest and told me that an opening for full time
usually entailed a wait of several years. I figured "Oh well" and
moved on.

The current teaching gig I do on the side is something new that
recently came up. I now live in western Minnesota (it's a much
shorter drive for me to go to Fargo than it is for me to go to the
Twin Cities). Anyway, with the changing job market, technology, and
so forth. A local state technical college and some employers and a
couple trade unions knocked heads together and figured out some things
needed to change. The nature of certain jobs were changing. And some
relevant portions of the tech college's curriculum were wayyyy behind
the times as concerns what was actually going on out in the field.

So I kinda got drafted. As I said before, sometimes it's a pain
knowing the wrong people. And a certain friend of mine who is on
staff at that tech college, I still owe a swift kick in the ass. It
isn't just the one 6 hour teaching session per week that's a pain.
It's also the PIA of developing, writng, rewriting, modifying, etc a
new curriculm for some knowledge areas on the fly, in conjunction with
that which is a royal PIA.

The particular issues I'm trying to address is that many companies
that used to specialize in certain low voltage work (i.e. sound
systems, voice and data comm, CCTV, door access, intrusion alarm, fire
alarm, energy management, etc) are now trying to become "integrated"
or multiple service providers. So they want some cross training for
employees. i.e. A voice and data comm guy might still be a voice and
data comm specialist, but employer wants him to know at least the
basics of fire alarm, door access control, CCTV, etc. So, if voice
and data comm work is slow this week, guy can help the CCTV guys, for
instance, and has a clue as to what's going on. Same scenario for
guys in the service and troublecall departments of an employer.
Service guy might be a specialist in one area, but needs to know
something about many. This is becoming more and more of an issue as
many of these systems are now becoming interconnected, and single
employers are trying to provide multiple services.

Another side issue I've been developing some instruction for is for
the HVAC guys. (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) Trying to
up their electrical knowledge and get more of them familiar with
modern direct digital controls. Which are seeing ever increasing
utilization.

Not that I have to try to teach ALL of this stuff. The course I'm
teaching is mostly a makeshift, make do thing. To bring some guys
already working up to snuff on some particular, specialized areas. As
requested by some employers. But it's a matter of figuring out on the
fly so to speak of how do you teach the basics of digital electronics,
without trying to make an electronics technician out of a HVAC tech,
or a CCTV installer. Just enough, and the right stuff, so the guy
knows the basics that he might actually need to know to have a clue as
to how these things actually work. Enough so he knows what the
equiment is doing, and why, and can do basic troubleshooting. In the
real world, he's not gonna be repairing circuit boards or anything.
Just needs to determine if it's working properly. If it's not, toss
it and put in new.

So that's a part of the problem, and a big part. Determining WHAT to
teach. What parts of a set of knowledge are worthwhile and useful to
these guys and gals. There is not enough time or money to teach them
everything in depth, and they don't actually need it.

Anyway, it's one of the reasons my friend asked me to step in. The on
staff instructors have good knowledge and are good in their
specialties. But, for instance, the guy who is their "heavy" in
teaching electronics doesn't really know which bits and pieces of the
curriculm are really useful to that HVAC tech, for instance, and which
parts are things he doesn't really need to know to do his job. This
is where I come in and the reason I got drafted. I know, and have
done out in the field on real job sites what these guys are gonna be
doing. So, for instance, right now, I'm goaled with refining down a
digital electronics curriculum, which will still be taught as is to
electronics techs and such ... to a bare bones, only what yah need to
know, fast course that they'd like to fit into eight, 4 hr long, night
classes.

Supposedly, after I get that down and set. A regular staff member
from the electronics department will actually teach it, from then on.
He just needs to know what bits and pieces are most useful to teach,
the focus and goal, and the best selection of live lab equipment and
exercises to use to teach the students who'll be in that particular
specialty class what they need to know. But no more than that, as
there is no time for it.

Chuckle, I have it all roughed out. Now is proofing time. Running
the first class thru. Ironing out the "Oops" and rough spots.
Testing my theories against actual performance. i.e. Did the student
actually met the goal? Did I actually teach him or her what I
intended, in a way he or she understood. Can he or she pass the
checkpoint tests? Which are part written test, part sit down with
real equipment and make it work or discover the faulty part.

I've had to drop back and punt a couple times. Change a presentation
which before did not impart the knowledge I wished to impart. i.e.
Previously on the first shot of explaining logic gates, I failed
dismally. Changed the presentation, did it again and yah could see
the light bulbs lighting up in their heads and the looks of "Oh ... I
get it now." Proofed by giving em a couple problems and sitting em
down with trainers and they could and did solve the problems and make
working circuits. Even troubleshot first mistakes and corrected them.

They're never, on the job, gonna have to actually make a circuit. But
with these particular folks, some of the gear they may have to work
with is of a nature such that they need to know how AND, NAND, OR,
NOR, XOR, etc gates work. i.e. They'll end up doing a controller
programming problem which uses graphical programming where they'll be
dragging and dropping logic blocks into place and connecting them to
make the device do what they want it to do.

Anyway, after a fashion it's interesting and satisfying. But it's
also aggravating as I have a regular, full time job. I'm getting paid
for this teaching gig, but don't actually need the money. And I'd
rather use my off the regular job time to go fishing, chase the old
lady around the bed room til she lets me catch her, etc.

I really gotta figure out how that friend of mine ever got me to say
"Yes" to this idea. And then kick him in the ass. G

My best to you and yours,

Bob